Child’s Idea Helps To Provide Jackets For Those In Need

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Robert Pettit has been a busy man. In the past five weeks, he and teams of nearly 200 volunteers have been cooking turkeys for the Light of Life Mission’s Thanksgiving Banquet.

Today, their efforts will feed nearly 1,500 people on the North Side of Pittsburgh.

For more than 60 years, that is what the Light of Light Mission has done — helped people who needed it most.

However, in the past four years, the brainstorm of a child has become a secondary service.

Jackson Seabolt was leaving a Pittsburgh Penguins’ game with his dad back in 2009, when the idea came to mind.

“I saw a homeless man and gave him $5. When we got to the car, I asked my dad what we could do to help people who are less fortunate,” Seabolt said.

They came up with the idea of Jackson’s Jackets. The first year they collected coats for the homeless, they came up with about 80 coats. This year, it is closer to 1,000.

Jackson’s father, Tim Seabolt, is very happy with how things have grown and developed.

“It’s grown over the years and we are very pleased to partner with the Light of Light Mission to make these coats, jackets, sweaters and blankets available. We hope we can continue to grow it in the future,” Tim Seabolt said.

Elaine Dott stopped at the Mission on Thanksgiving morning and picked up a new coat for her husband and a new sweater and pair of pants for herself.

“They have a ton of stuff to choose, and a lot of it is brand new. People that are hurting. This is a God-send for people that need the assistance,” Dott said.

While hundreds of people will be helped today, Jackson said there is more to be done.

Rick Dayton joined KDKA in September 2009 as a morning news anchor. He can be seen anchoring the KDKA-TV Morning News from 4:30am-7am on KDKA-TV and the KDKA-TV Morning News on Pittsburgh's CW from 7am-8am on WPCW-TV alongside co-anchor Jennifer...